Vacuum tank



C. S. NELSON VACUUM TANK Filed June 1927 Z4 Z6 Z7 MGMiOt Char/es 6. A e/s'on.

Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

- UNITED STATES -N' FFICE,

CHARLES s. NELSON, on sANDPoIN'r, InAHo.

vAoUoM TANK.

Application filed June 4,

tank to the feed tank and thence to the car-i bureter. The invention embodies float actuated control valves for the vacuum tank and inconnection with a specially constructed feed tankand filter I utilize a check valve, preferably of the ball type, to insure formation of the vacuumior partial vacuum in the vacuum tank, as well as control passageof fuel to the carbureter and prevent return movement vof the gasoline or fuel from the vcarbureter.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts whereby a uniform and automatically regulated feed of gasoline to the carbureter is accomplished as hereinafter pointed out and claimed. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physicalembodiment of my invention Where 1 in the parts are combined and arranged in accordance with the best mode Iihave thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vacuum tank embodying my invention showing the air vent open to the atmosphere, the suction valve closed, and the feed chamber or tank with its filtering feature and checkcontrolvalve between the feed chamber and thecarbureter. c i p v Figure 2 is' a transverse sectional view through the top of the vacuum chamber.

' Figure 3 is an enlarged, detail sectional View of. the air valve device enclosed within the vacuum tank, the suction control valve being of similar construction andoperation. In carrying out myinvention I preferably 7 use a glass cylinder lof suitable sizewhich 1927. serial nb.19s,59i.1

is used as the vacuum tank or gasoline inlet chamber; The glass cylinder is provided with atop 2, flanged to fit over the upper end of the cylinder, and aflanged bottom is provided for the cylinder,the usual gaskets or packing elements being employed to make an air tight and water tight joint at the top and bottom of the cylinder. A suitable num-. ber of tie bolts 4 are used to connect the top and bottom of the cylinder, and nuts are provided on these bolts for clamping parts together. i

The gasoline supply pipe 4* is connected to I asuitable supply tank and it"is introduced to'the upper portion ofthe vacuum tank through the top lid 2, and a suction pipe 5 is also connected to the top 2 and extends to the engine or motor to which the fuelis fed. An air'vent pipe 6, open to the' 'atmosphere, is also connected with the interior of the vacuum'tank through the top 2,as seen 7 in Figure 1. Y

7 For controlling the-admission of the supply 'of gasoline through pipe 4, the suction pipe or line 5 is provided with a tubular casing 7 closed at the bottom and provided with a side or lateral port 8, and the air vent pipe 6 also 1 communicates with a similar tubular casing 9 nitegral with the top 2, closed at the bottom,'and provided with a lateral port 10.

Thesecasings that are rigid with the top 2 project downwardly into the upper portion of r the vacuum chamber and are spaced equidistantfrom the center of thecylindrical chamber. The side ports 8 and 10 are controlled by the use of slide valves 11 and 12, the former 1 l for the suction pipe and the latter for the air 1 vent pipe. The valves as best seen in Figure 3 are fashionedin the'form of circular disks and they are held against the fiat surfaces 13 onthe exteriorof thecasingssurrounding the I i ports. The two valves or d sks l1 and 12 frictionally engage these surfaces and are adapted to slide vertically while in contact therewith, to open and close the lateral ports. When the port 8 is closed, the port lO'is open and vice f,

versa. a

The two valves 11 and 12 are carried at the oppositeends ofa r0ok a-Ifm'1t which is located inthe upper part of the vacuum chamher, and securing pins 15 on the arm support the valves. The rock arm is pivoted at 16 to a suspending bracket 17 that pro ectsdown from the underside of the top 2 of the tank.

The two valves are controlled in their movements by a float 18 fashioned with a central tube 19 to accommodate a stem 20, and the stem is provided with upper and lower stops 21 and 22 respectively. The float is permitted to have a vertical movement with relation to the stem 20 before it strikes or. contacts with either of the spaced abutments or stops 21 and 22. The gasoline level in the vacuum tank is controlled by the float, and the valves when operated by the float are manipulated with a snap action to insure a quick and reliable opening and closing movement of the valves.

For this purpose a bell crank lever 23 is pivoted at 24 in a bracket 25 which bracket projects from the under side of the top 2, into the upper portion of the vacuum chamber, and the bell crank lever is pivoted at the lower end of this bracket. a 1 At each side of the bracket are arranged springs 26 connected to the arm 27 of the bell crank lever, and anchored to the bracket near the top, and asseen in Figure 1 these springs are otf-set from the pivot point 24 to insure the snap action when they become overbalanced.

The bell crank lever is also pivoted'at 28 to the vertically arranged stem 26 which passes through the float, and the bell crank lever, 23, is provided with apair of vertically spaced arms 29. .These arms are vertically alined and project in horizontal position in the path of movement of the rock arm 14 for co-action therewith in the operation of the arm. One of the arms projects above the arm 14 and the other arm 29 projectsbelow the rock arm.

In Figure 1 it will be apparent that the level of the gasoline falls sufliciently-to permit the float 18 to engage the stop 22, and thenthe level continues to fall, carrying with it the float 18, the float will swing the bell crank lever until the springs 26 are overbalanced, and then with a snap action, the upper arm 28 will strike the rock arm 14 to cause the opening of the suction valve port 8,

and closing of the atmospheric valve port 10. Under these conditions, the gasoline is fed through the pipe 4 to the vacuum tank until passes from the tank 1 to a feed and filter chamber 30 through outlet pipe 31 having a control valve 32 therein.

The feed chamber is formed within the glass cylinder 30, and this cylinder is provided with metal top 33 and bottom 34 connected by the central pipe 35 that communicates with the pipe 31. The pipe 35 is used to secure the top andbottom of the chamber to the cylinder and is threaded into the top 33, 'while its lower end, which projects through an opening in the bottom 34, is threaded for the clamp nut 36. I

At its lower end, within the chamber 30, the pipe 35 is provided with lateral ports 37 for admission of gasoline to'chamber 30.

It will be apparent that the gasoline, by

gravity. flows from the vacuum chamber through pipe 31 and pipe 35 to the interior of the chamber 30, and within this chamber the gasoline is filtered by being caused to pass through a cylindrical, reticulated, screen-38 that surrounds the pipe 35 and is clamped between the top and bottom of the glass cylinder forming the feed chamber.

An outlet port 39 for gasoline'from the feed chamber 30 is provided at the upper end of the chamber, and it will be apparent that any sediment accuiiuulating within the screen or filter 38 will be prevented from. reaching the outlet port, as will also any water from the gasoline settling in the bottom of the cylinder 30 be prevented from reaching the port 39. V

The port 39 is closed against back pressure from a check valve or ball valve 40 located in the coupling sleeve 41, which is connected at the upper end of the top plate 33, and a pin 42 in the sleeve preventstheball valve the ball valve may be keptagainst the pin 42 by the weight of the gasoline column above it. When the vent pi ps6 is closed and suction is provided through pipe 5 to supply the tank 1. the check valve closes the port 39 to assist in the formation ofthe-necessary vacuum condition in the tank 1. a

The vacuum tank and the small feedtank or filtering tank are both made of glass in order that conditions within the tanks may be 3 observed and when necessary proper steps may be taken to correct improper conditions.

Having thusfully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

f 1. The combination with a vacuum tank and means for automatically maintaining the liquid fueljlevel therein, of a filterin'g'vessel and an outlet pipe from the tank to said vessel, a control valve in the outlet P p filtermg medium within the vessel, con'nections from said vessel to a carbureter, and a check valve in the connection to the carbureter.

2. The combination with a vacuum tank of 5 a filtering vessel having an inlet pipe from said tank and outlet ports for said pipe at the lower end of the vessel, a foraminous screen surrounding the pipe and ports Within the vessel, said vessel having anupper outlet-port and feed pipe connected therewith, a check 10 valve for normally closing the port against back pressure of liquid fuel, and an abutment pin for preventing closure of the feed pipe by the check valve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES S. NELSON. 

